Vlasto Kopač – a creator of space, guardian of heritage and memory

Vlasto Kopač – a creator of space, guardian of heritage and memory

The year 2026 marks the twentieth anniversary of the death of architect and humanist Vlasto Kopač. On this occasion, museums, public institutions and individuals who preserve his legacy have joined forces. Throughout the year, a series of events will present the many fields of his work and highlight his importance for the Slovenian environment, cultural landscape and collective memory.

The focus of Kopač’s interest was space, which he understood in a holistic way—as an interweaving of architecture, landscape, history and human experience. He approached it with deep respect and responsibility. A special place in his work is occupied by care for heritage, the preservation of memory, and projects that still today encourage reflection on both the past and the future.

The life of Vlasto Kopač (1913–2006) led him from his native Žiri to various places across Yugoslavia, and later to Ljubljana, where he studied under Professor Jože Plečnik. He became one of Plečnik’s finest students. He was profoundly marked by the mountains, to which he returned as an alpinist, mountain rescuer and hut keeper. During the war he took part in the resistance movement, was imprisoned in the Dachau concentration camp, and after the war was tried in the Dachau trials. He did not break—on the contrary, he further developed his talents in drawing, design, graphic art, cartography and architecture. He worked in the heritage conservation service, collected folk traditions, and carefully supervised the implementation of his projects, thereby contributing to the protection of heritage.

Through the events of 2026, we wish to revive his memory, present the diversity of his oeuvre, and emphasize the values Kopač advocated—values that remain relevant today.

You are warmly invited to discover with us both the well-known and lesser-known works and the many fields of activity of Vlasto Kopač.

Participating institutions:

1. Medobčinski muzej Kamnik
2. Muzej in galerije mesta Ljubljane – Plečnikova hiša
3. Gornjesavski muzej Jesenice – Slovenski planinski muzej
4. Zavod za varstvo kulturne dediščine RS
5. Muzej za arhitekturo in oblikovanje
6. Muzej novejše in sodobne zgodovine Slovenije
7. Geografski inštitut Antona Melika, ZRC SAZU

Other project partners:

Alpine Association Domžale, Velika planina d.o.o., Alpine Association Kamnik, Alpine Association Bajtar, Kajža, Ribnica Museum, Žiri Museum–Žiri Museum Society, Triglav National Park

Financial supporters of the project:

Ministrstvo za kulturo RS, Občina Kamnik, Mestna občina Ljubljana, Občina Kranjska Gora

AT THIS PLACE, A CALENDAR OF EVENTS DEDICATED TO VLASTO KOPAČ WILL BE PUBLISHED FOR THE YEAR 2026, ALONG WITH CURRENT EVENTS.

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